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(No Model.)

G. W. GESNER.

APPARATUS FOR YOXIDIZING THE SURFACE OF METALS.

No. 376,874. Patented-Jan; 24, 1888.

N. PETERS. Phnlwlilbognpher. Wflshingion. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT v FFlCEe, f

GEORGE GESNER, or NEWYORK, Iv. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE HYDROGEN COMPANY OF THE UNITED STATES.

APPARATUS FOR OXIVDIZING THE sum-Act: OF-METQALS.

SPECIFICATION forming part er Letters Patent No. 376,874, dated January 24,-1888.

Application filed December 2, 1887. Serial No. 256,819. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, GEORGE W. GESNER, of

New York, in the county of New York' and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Oxidizing the Surface of Iron; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention is an improved apparatus for the treatment of metals in accordance with the process described and claimed in a pending application'filed by me November 2L, 1887, Serial No. 255,754.

The object of the invention is to treat met-' als, whereby a surface will be imparted thereto, composed of an alloy or compound homogeneous with the body of the metal, of apractically non-corrodible nature, and at the same time the ductility, toughness, and tensile strength will not be diminished, without any material increase in' the dimensions of the articles, and without the formation of scale or film.

The invention consists of a retort or muffle, from which atmospheric air is excluded, for holding the articles to be treated, and of'a su perheater arranged within or near the retort and heatedby the same fire, with connections between the two, whereby the super-heater is kept at the same ora higher temperature than the muffle. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a muffle with the superheater inclosed within the same, with articles to be treated supported within the vertical portion of the muftle. Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views of a form of superheater.

- Heretofore in the treatment of metals-such as iron-the superheated steam used has been conveyed to the retort or muffle from a superheater, independent of the muflie in which the articles were treated, and a serious objection arises to having the superheater separate, for

the reason that it is very. desirable that the temperature of the superheated steam and the muffle in which the articles are treated should be the same, or at least that the superheated steam shall not be lower, and varied uniformly in accordance with the temperature required for the treatment of different classes of articles, and it is obvious that such uniformity of form of muffle, from which the atmospheric .be of the form shown or of any suitable con Y temperature cannot be obtained where the two devices are separated and heated by different furnaces, the temperature of the superheated steam, even though uniform in thesuperheater with the temperature of the muffle, losing in temperature in transit to the muffle... I have overcome this difficulty by arranging my superheater within the Inuffle, or in such a position in the bench as tobe heated by the same 60, fire which heats the muffle or muffles, and thus the temperaturein both the superheater and muffle will be uniform. In Fig. l I have shown at A an ordinary 5 air is" excluded, which, it will be understood, maybe one of many within abench. The open'-. ing in the horizontal part of the muffle is pro-i vided with the ordinary mouth-piece and lid; as shown. A suitable furnace is shown below themuffle, and this may be fedwith coal or liquid fuel, gases, or vapors, in any well known manner. A superheater, B ,-i s shown V as located upon thefloor ofthe muffle, andmay struction. Thesteam pipemleadingtoit, may come from any suitable source, such as a boiler or supplemental superheater. The particular form of superheater represented within the muffle is shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 3. It consists of a chamber in arched form, the steam from the boiler or supplemental superheater entering at the front wall, and afterbeing superheated tothe same temperature as the retort passes out at the rear intothe retort. I also use hydrocarbon oil or the vapors of hydrocarbon, or both, in my process, and the pipe for the liquid or vapor is represented at b. The arched form of superheater permits a branch, 0, of the pipe I) to extend through the same, and the liquid hydrocarbon (if liquid be used).t0 be partially vaporized in its passage, this pipe uniting with the pipe for the superheated steam in the rear of the superheater and terminating in an upwardly-turned 9 spraying device, d. The articles to be'treated are arranged within the muffle, either horizontally or vertically, and are supported in IOO I have shown as one meansofsupg port grate-bars having knife-edges,-providing ample support, and at the same time allowing the agents used to reach all parts of the surface have before stated, either in liquid form or in the form of vapor from a suitable vaporizer.

It will be understood that while I have shown in one figure the superheater as being within the muffle, I do not limit myself to one superheater only, as others may be located at any convenient place within the bench, it being necessary only that the steam should be superheated by the same fire which heats the muflie and thereafter be delivered upon the articles under treatment in the muffle at a uniform temperature equal to that,which is at that time required for the articles under treatment.

The improved method carried out in my apparatus is the same as that described in my pending application above referred to, and requires no further explanation in this application.

I have shown in Fig. l a pipe leading from the mufile to a hydraulic seal for regulating the pressure within the muifle, and I connect the cap of this seal with a pipe extending to the point of combustion of the furnace over the grate. A discharge siphon-trap is connected with the hydraulic seal. When the pressure within the muffle is ordinary, the

gases escape through the pipe,passing upward,

being cleansed in the water of the seal, and

through the connecting-pipe to the point of' combustion, where they are burned; but in case the pressure is excessive and the connecting-pipe to the point of combustion not sufficient to carry them off, they are simply blown out through the siphon. This automatic regulator saves the muffle from any injurious effects caused by sudden increase of pressure.

I claim as my invention-- 1. In the treatment of metallic articles, a retort or muffle for holding the article, combined with an open-arched superheater arranged within the muffle, having deflectingplates arranged within the same to form a circuitous passage, pipe-connections from said superheater to a boiler or other source of steam, and connections between the superheater and muffle, substantially as described.

2. In the treatment of metallic articles, a retort or muffle for holding the article, having a vertical and horizontal portion, a superheater arranged within the horizontal portion, thereby leaving the vertical portion free for the article to be treated, pipe-connections between said superheater and a steam source, and connections with the interior of the muflle from the superheater, substantially as described.

3. In the treatment of metallic articles, a retort or muffle for the articles to be treated, a superheater within the same, pipe-connections with a suitable steam source, connections with the retort, inlet-pipes for the gases and hydrocarbon, and a spraying device connecting the various pipes within the muffle, said spraying device being deflected upwardly to direct the agents directly against the articles treated, with suitable cocks for regulating the flow through one or more of said pipes and cutting it off altogether, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE \V. vGESNER.

Witnesses:

CHAS. G. HANKS, J os. H. GRENELLE. 

